23 Halloween beauty looks you should try

If you don’t know what to wear on Halloween, forget about traditional costumes and instead consider a detailed makeup look.

Every October, makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts alike take to Instagram to showcase their creativity, sharing everything from spooky special effects makeup to easy DIY looks.

And if you’re not highly skilled in makeup application, that’s OK. These looks are all customisable, and can be tailored to your skills and the makeup you already own. To help you plan your look, we’ve rounded up 23 of the best Halloween makeup looks that you should try.

This Harley Quinn makeup look is easy enough to DIY.

Leanne CooperYou can colour your hair with washable coloured sprays from the drugstore.

Created by makeup artist Leanne Cooper, this Harley Quinn makeup look can be recreated with minimal beauty products. Simply apply red eye shadow to one eye, and blue eye shadow to the other.

For this look, use a black gel liner to draw small Mickey ears on your eyelids. You can go simple with the rest of your face makeup, but add a bold red lip to tie everything together.

You can use face paint to create a Spider-Man costume.

Saige AllisonYou can also wear winged linger and false lashes with this look.

Don’t freak out if you don’t have time to pick up a costume this year. Makeup artist Saige Allison created this Spider-Man look that can be achieved almost entirely with face paint.

It might take a little more time than putting on a Spider-Man bodysuit, but using red and black makeup to create the superhero’s signature mask – paired with a purple lipstick and red eye shadow – will make your costume stand out from the rest.

Showcase your colourful personality with this fairy makeup look.

Jessica HowesYou can buy a flower crown or make your own to complete this costume.

To recreate this look yourself, brush any brightly-coloured eye shadow across your lids and lightly down your nose. Use a white gel eyeliner to create dots around your eyes, and finish the look with a shiny nude lip colour.

This makeup gives the impression that you jumped straight out of a Wonder Woman comic.

Joann CruzYou can also turn yourself into other comic characters by drawing graphic lines.

To recreate her Wonder Woman-inspired beauty look, draw lines cross your face with a liquid eyeliner pen. Once your face is sculpted to look like a comic character, use some golden face paint to create your crown, and pull it all together with a matte burgundy lipstick.

Scare all your friends this Halloween by drawing giant spiders on your face.

Emma GoodingDon’t forget to add some shimmer in the inner corner of your eyes.

If you’d like to try this look at home, use an eyeliner pencil in any colour to draw eight legs stemming from each eye. To make it extra bold, pair a dark lip liner with a lighter lipstick to create an ombré effect.

Of course, the zodiac sign you choose will change how you recreate this look, but for the best results choose colours and styles that represent your personality.

If you don’t want to wear a full costume, get festive with your makeup.

Emily MulgrewFor some extra fun, use a bright orange pencil to line the top of your lip.

Whether you have to work or just don’t feel like wearing an elaborate costume, makeup artist Emily Mulgrew has the perfect solution for you.

Mulgrew ditched a costume completely and instead created a bold winged look using orange eye shadow and black eyeliner. She also drew bats along her cheekbone, which can be customised with any traditional Halloween character.

You don’t have to cover yourself in purple face paint to dress as Violet Beauregarde from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

Ellie AddisYou’ll want to make sure you buy some bubblegum for this costume.

“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” has the potential to inspire tons of Halloween costumes, but makeup enthusiast Ellie Addis found particular inspiration in the bubblegum-chewing Violet.

To recreate her look, brush a bright purple eyeshadow across your nose, packing a lot of colour on top and blending the excess out towards your cheeks. Add a blonde bob wig, pack of bubblegum, and blue jacket, and people will be doing double-takes.

Animal looks can be simple and easy to recreate.

After applying your favourite foundation, use a cream white eye shadow crayon to create spots across your forehead. From there, go for a shimmery neutral shadow on your eyes, and use a dark eye shadow to create the appearance of a deer nose and lip.

If you’re dressing as a scarecrow this Halloween, keep your outfit simple and go all out on your makeup.

Shonna MalliaYou can also wear a wig to make your costume really stand out.

Makeup artist Shonna Mallia created this scarecrow makeup costume with bold bronzer and dark lipstick. Highlighter, blush, and false lases are also used to add some glam to the look.

To replicate the most crucial aspect of this look, use a black eyeliner pencil to create stitches everywhere – from your forehead, to your nose, and lips.

Make sure you have plenty of glitter for your unicorn costume.

For those dressing as unicorns this October, take inspiration from makeup enthusiast Yara Debs. To recreate her glitzy unicorn look, all you’ll really need is your everyday makeup, a bright lipstick, and lots of glitter.

To keep your makeup shining throughout the entire holiday, prime your face with a tacky primer, and use a sponge to spread a rainbow highlighter across the side of your face.

This ice cream-inspired makeup will take some time to apply.

Melted ice cream might not be the first costume choice, but this look from makeup enthusiast Katie March will push it to the top of your list.

It’s worth noting that this costume may be easier for advanced makeup artists, but anyone can create their own version of this look by using brightly-coloured face paint, eyeliner, and eye shadow.

You can dress as a clown without being scary.

Kaitlyn BelinUse the same metallic lipstick on both your lips and your nose.

Makeup enthusiast Kaitlyn Belin created a look that puts a pink glam twist on the traditional clown costume. To wear this look, simply brush pink eye shadow on your forehead down to your checks in a C-motion.

Use that same shadow to coat your eyelids, and draw triangles above and under each eye with a purple eyeliner pencil. You can create the rest of the look with drugstore face paint.

This look is perfect to wear to a work function or family Halloween outing.

Dressing as a witch may seem like a tired choice, but makeup artist Sophie Sieh created an autumnal witch look that is more glam than wicked. The best part is that you can easily replicate this look by making use of pumpkin-coloured shadows, matching blush, and winged liner.

To create the stars, simply take a white eyeliner pencil and draw them wherever you’d like.

Those dressing as Princess Shuri from “Black Panther” will want to check out this makeup look.

Lucia MarteYou can use body paint or purchase a costume to complete this costume.

Simply apply purple, pink, and yellow eye shadow to your lids, and use a white cream eyeliner to create dots across your face. Pair with a pink nude lip, and you’re set.

You don’t need a ton of fake blood to pull off this vampire look.

Emma ShepherdPaired with all black attire, this makeup will make turn you into a picture perfect vampire.

This vampire look created by makeup artist Emma Shepherd is simple but effective. To replicate the look, start with foundation that’s a shade lighter than you normally wear to give you a ghoulish effect.

Then pack a black shadow on your eyelid, and create lines with a burgundy lip liner down towards your cheeks. Finally, colour your lips red and pop in some fake fangs to complete the look.

Relive your favourite ’90s memories with this beauty look.

Created by makeup artist Nia Mulan, this makeup look will give you the perfect excuse to sing your favourite ’90s songs all Halloween night.

To recreate it at home, stock up on some neon eye shadow, bright lipstick, and black liquid liner. To create the classic ’90s shapes across your cheeks, use highly pigmented eyeliner pencils to draw squiggles, triangles, and any other geometric shapes.

With this makeup look, trick or treaters will surely confuse you with actress Madelaine Petsch.

The most important part of Blossom’s look is her red hair and matching lips, so a shiny red lip gloss and simple smokey eye is really all you need for this costume. And if you decide to wear a wig, make sure you colour in your eyebrows to be the same auburn shade.

Put your own spin on Captain America’s classic suit.

Taylor WilkinsonYou only need three colours — red, white, and blue — for this makeup look.

Tons of people dress as their favourite superheroes on Halloween, but this look created by artist Melanie Wilkinson might make you forget about them and dress as Captain America instead.

Of course, you’ll need a lot of blue face paint to create Steve Roger’s mask. But for the rest of your makeup, stick to a simple look consisting of mascara, eyebrow products of your choice, and a bold red lipstick.

There can never be too many Disney costumes on Halloween.

Cassie WellsWearing a bright red wig is necessary for an Ariel costume.

If you too want to dress like Ariel this year, take advantage of any red makeup you own – wear a bright red lip, and use red eye shadow for your brows. For your eyes, use green and purple to match Ariel’s fins and shell bra.